Mac Olsen
I won’t call it the politically correct name, ‘Cannabis’, I will always refer to it as ‘marijuana,’ a substance that has no business being legalized or made socially acceptable.
True, marijuana legalization takes effect Oct. 17 across the country and there’s no way to stop it. But that doesn’t mean it should be condoned or accepted, especially when it comes to public safety.
As per an article in the National Post on Aug. 9:
“A new Statistics Canada survey has found about 1.4 million Canadians reported they had been a passenger in a vehicle driven by someone who had consumed cannabis in the previous two hours.
“In addition, one in seven cannabis users with a driver’s licence said they had got behind the wheel at least once within two hours of using the drug in the past three months. Men were nearly two times more likely than women to report this behaviour.
“With the Trudeau government’s Cannabis Act set to become law on Oct. 17, Statistics Canada has begun measuring the social and economic impacts of legalized cannabis through a quarterly national cannabis survey.”
So, here’s an example of where the “upside” of legalizing an illegal substance could boomerang on society, with increased policing required to crack down on those who get “high” on marijuana and then go drive while under its influence. And if increased policing is going to be required to catch these offenders, then there will be an associated increase in policing costs.
Guess who gets that bill? The taxpayer! And while we’re on this subject, how much will it cost to police public parks and playgrounds, which are prohibited places.
Moreover, I am very cynncial that the “taxation” of legalized marijuana will bring in the required amount of money to police distribution and consumption. And if offenders have to appear in court for breaking the “rules” of using marijuana, by how much will court costs and Crown prosecution caseloads increase?
Thus, if we think that legalization of marijuana is going to make its use and control of, far easier, think again. Don’t be surprised if, one day, you walk down a residential street or through a public park and somebody has “lit up” and blows it in your face, as an act of rebellion and arrogance.
And don’t think for one moment that the illegal grow ups are going to sit back and allow their sales and profits to decline. You can bet a dollar to a donut that some will target the legalized businesses with threats, intimidation and even destruction to protect their markets and profits. The illegal market for marijuana will not go away, just as it will not for deadly substances like cocaine and methamphetamine.
Then there’s the race to invest in the legalization of marijuana. It’s horrifying to hear that companies have listed on financial markets like the Toronto Stock Exchange, wanting to get in on the ground floor to profit from this immoral and disgusting substance.
I liken this to investing in an overseas mining company where the labourers are paid low wages and they have no rights. Those investing in marijuana, like the overseas mining company, are exploiting society for their own immoral ends.
So, after Oct. 17, I hope Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s legalization of marijuana backfires – totally.
Cannabis, Marijuana, I call it weed since it’s easier to spell. You can’t beat it, it’s everywhere and its an example of disregarding the law and getting away with it. In the US it is a sure way to jail people of color and use their free labor. I have a prescription for it which I don’t use. In my opinion it is less harmful then alcohol which I also don’t use, but so many do. Let it be legal and regulate what we can. We have bigger problems to deal with such as half of the country burning, the other half drowning while half the people don’t believe that Global warming is real.